Yamuna swells further after breaching record level in Delhi; evacuations on

The Yamuna has breached its all-time record of 207.49 metres set in 1978, government agencies said. The river swelled to 207.71 metres at 4 pm on Wednesday (July 12) after recording 207.55 metres in the morning.

According to the Central Water Commissions (CWC) flood-monitoring portal, the water level at the Old Railway Bridge crossed the 207-metre mark at 4 am, the first time since 2013, and rose to 207.55 metres by 1 pm.

The river is likely to rise further, an official of the irrigation and flood control department said.

#WATCH | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, says "The water level of the Yamuna River in Delhi has reached 207.71 metres, which is the highest ever. Delhi has not received rainfall in the last 2-3 days. Water is entering Delhi from Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Regarding this, I have also… pic.twitter.com/wPUZk7XO3u

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

City under water

Several parts of the city have gone under water. According to officials, Garhi Mandu village near the Signature Bridge in Wazirabad is submerged. Most people have been taken to safety and the rest are being evacuated using boats, they said.

Local BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar said water has entered the houses of the residents of Garhi Mandu and Usmanpur villages.

Also read: Monsoon mayhem: Death toll mounts to 15 in Punjab, Haryana; 9 killed in Uttarakhand

“The power supply was cut off around 4 am as a precautionary measure and people were helped to move to safer places. The problem is that many of them do not want to leave their houses despite the flood. We are also providing them with food and distributing relief material through boats,” he added.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) headquarters is flooded, and employees were seen making their way through the waterlogged entrance to get into the office. Videos of the DTC headquarters located at Indraprastha showed people folding their trousers and holding their shoes in hand before entering the building.

#WATCH | Delhi | We have made all necessary arrangements including fans, bathrooms, medical facilities & others in relief camps. The water level is continuously rising in the Yamuna River and we are prepared to deal with any unforeseen situation: Atishi, Delhi Minister after… pic.twitter.com/jOTqjqE3HX

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2023

“Earlier, the situation would be this bad only when it rained for days. But this time, there is knee-deep water inside the headquarters. Adding to our woes, it also contains sewage water,” a DTC employee told PTI Video.

According to officials, the DTC headquarters building has been in need of repair for a long time. Constructed in 1958, the redevelopment project of the headquarters and bus depot has been a long-standing proposal that has not achieved fruition till now, they said.

“Like Venice”

Monastery market is another place affected by the swollen Yamuna. The shopkeepers were busy shifting their goods. “The government has not done anything. Our goods have been destroyed. This is like Venice,” one of them said, pointing towards the flooded market.

Another man, who runs a garments shop in the market, said he had shifted the clothes to another shop owned by him in the area. “Some people have kept their goods at a height. But if the water level rises further, they will be doomed. The Yamuna is flowing just behind the market. The water level has been rising since 9 am. No government team has come to our aid so far,” he added.

Also Read: SC stays NGT order asking Delhi LG to head committee on Yamuna

Delhi recorded a rapid increase in the Yamuna water level over the last three days.

It shot up from 203.14 metres at 11 am on Sunday to 205.4 metres at 5 pm on Monday, breaching the danger mark of 205.33 metres 18 hours earlier than expected.

The river had exceeded the evacuation mark of 206 metres on Monday night, prompting the relocation of people residing in flood-prone areas to safer locations and a closure of the Old Railway Bridge for road and rail traffic.

Delhi water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj told the media that the city government was prepared to deal with the situation. “We are monitoring the situation and all possible steps are being taken,” he said.

Also Read: Floods in North: Uttarakhand bridge washed away; Yamuna breaches evacuation mark in Delhi

Kejriwal calls emergency meeting

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday (July 12) called an emergency meeting that will be held at the Delhi Secretariat where senior officers of all departments concerned will be present, said a Delhi government official.

Kejriwal also urged the Centre to intervene to ensure that levels of the Yamuna, flowing at an all-time high of 207.55 metres, don’t rise further.

Central Water Commission predicts 207.72 meter water level in Yamuna tonite. Not good news for Delhi.

There have been no rains in Delhi last 2 days, however, levels of Yamuna are rising due to abnormally high volumes of water being released by Haryana at Hathnikund barrage.… pic.twitter.com/3D0SI2eYUm

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) July 12, 2023

Sharing an update on Yamuna’s water levels, Kejriwal said on Twitter, “Central Water Commission predicts 207.72 meter water level in Yamuna tonight. Not good news for Delhi. There have been no rains in Delhi last 2 days, however, levels of Yamuna are rising due to abnormally high volumes of water being released by Haryana at Hathnikund barrage. Urge Centre to intervene and ensure that levels in Yamuna don’t rise further. Highest Flood Level 207.49m (in 1978). Current Level 207.55m.”

Thousands of people have been evacuated and shifted to safer places due to rising level of the Yamuna River in the national capital.

(With agency inputs)